Cyphonism (Gr κυφωνισμός, from κῡφός, "bent, crooked") was a form of punishment by the κύφων (kyphon), a sort of wooden pillory by which the neck of the malefactor was bent or weighed downward. Formerly, this term was widely believed to refer to a form of punishment in which the criminal's naked body was smeared with honey, and exposed him to flies, wasps, etc.